Fulham 1 Middlesbrough 1

An entertaining game looked to be heading to a stalemate with the scoresheet blank with four minutes left, but Aboubakar Kamara headed home a cross from the dangerous Ryan Sessegnon to break the deadlock.

Boro levelled just two minutes later though, with Christie drilling home his first goal since a summer move from Derby County after Ashley Fletcher’s initial shot had been blocked.

The result extends Boro’s unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions, and moves Garry Monk’s side up to fifth position in the table.

Monk made two changes to the side that started last weekend’s Championship win over QPR, with Jonny Howson and Patrick Bamford remaining in the starting line-up after their impressive displays in the midweek Carabao Cup win at Aston Villa.

Boro started brightly, and threatened as early as the eighth minute as Lewis Baker fired in a 20-yard effort that was tipped over by Fulham goalkeeper David Button.

Baker was stationed on the right of midfield, but while the Chelsea loanee carried a threat in attack, he failed to provide much support for his right-back, Christie. As a result, Fulham full-back Sessegnon was the most threatening figure in the first half as his rampaging runs on the overlapped caused a succession of problems.

Howson made a couple of crucial defensive interventions in the first 25 minutes, with Boro goalkeeper Darren Randolph also called upon to make a number of important saves.

The first came in the tenth minute, and saw the Irishman turn Oliver Norwood’s free-kick around the post after the Fulham midfielder tried his luck from a wide position when a cross looked his likeliest option.

Two minutes later, Randolph was involved again, saving with his legs after Floyd Ayite dribbled past Dael Fry to make it into the box.

Randolph completed a hat-trick of first-half stops shortly after, claiming Sheyi Ojo’s shot after the Liverpool loanee cut in from the left-hand side.

Boro’s best first-half opening came midway through the opening period, and saw Baker curl over from the edge of the area after he had been teed up by Christie’s run down the right.

Bamford went close as he dragged a low shot wide of the target following a slick through ball from Howson, and Marvin Johnson also threatened as he surged past former Boro defender Ryan Fredericks, only for his low effort to whistle wide of the post.

However, Fulham continued to cause a host of problems down Boro’s right-hand side, and when Ayite pulled the ball back invitingly, Norwood curled just over the crossbar.

There was no let-up in the tempo after the interval, and Sessegnon was at the heart of the action again as he surged into the area six minutes after the break, only for his shot from Ojo’s cross to sail harmlessly over.

Fulham cranked up the pressure at the start of the second half, winning a succession of corners, but the Boro defence held firm and the visitors almost broke the deadlock on the counter-attack in the 67th minute.

A swift attacking move initiated by Howson ended with Bamford playing a one-two with Assombalonga, only for his low strike to flash into the side-netting.

Fulham’s best chance of the second period came with 16 minutes left, and should really have resulted in the opening goal.

Rui Fonte played Kamara clean through the middle, but the Fulham striker displayed a chronic lack of composure as he slashed at a shot that flew horribly wide.

When he next had a chance, though, he was rather more clinical. Sessegnon surged to the byline to stand up an 86th-minute cross from the left, and Kamara climbed above substitute full-back George Friend at the back post to head home via the inside of the upright.

The goal was a body blow to Boro, but the visitors showed commendable spirit to claim an equaliser within two minutes of falling behind.

Fletcher’s shot on the turn was blocked in the area, but the ball fell invitingly for Christie, who drilled into the bottom left-hand corner to claim his first Boro goal.

Fulham (4-1-4-1): Button; Fredericks, Ream, Kalas, Sessegnon; McDonald; Ojo, Johansen (Kamara 70); Norwood (Cisse 90), Ayite (Kebano 42); Fonte.

Subs (not used): Bettinelli (gk), Odoi, Mollo, Djalo.

Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Randolph; Christie, Fry, Gibson, Fabio (Friend 75); Baker, Clayton, Howson, Johnson; Bamford (Fletcher 75), Assombalonga (Downing 89).

Subs (not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Shotton, Leadbitter, Tavernier.